Love In Motion
by smashfiction2015
Summary: Weiss is a Pilot in training of high caliber. Her team was an unstoppable juggernaut with her at the head. Then one day a girl in red comes in and outplays everyone else. How does she do it? RWBY AU taking place in the Titanfall universe. WhiteRose, Arkos, Bumblebee. M for language, violence and maybe smut in the future if y'all really want it. Goal: 40 chapters, 100,000 words. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Alrighty dear readers. It is time for my first official RWBY story. I took most of my inspiration from the fact that I can't find any good Titanfall fanfics, so I decided to write my own. You will notice that it isn't tagged for Titanfall because I didn't want to repel any readers. It isn't really a crossover, so it isn't deception. I just like the universe and setting. I digress. Let's get this story on, aight? Oh, and whiterose is the ship for you losers who care so much.**

 **I own neither Titanfall(regretfully) nor RWBY(also regretfully).**

 **Update schedule in the notes at the end.**

 **/**

The first time Pilot Weiss Schnee had seen the girl was in a training simulation. They were both in a training program for pilot candidates and the girl was one of the youngest trainees, yet she was beyond most of them in skill. In an infantry-only team-deathmatch she was a force to be reckoned with. While everyone else was clumsily using grappling hooks to reach high places or placing down portable shields to snipe from behind, the girl in red had flashed around the battlefield, using every small motion to propel herself to higher speeds. One by one, Weiss's teammates had vanished in pixelated blurs as the red pilot tore them out of the simulation with well-aimed bursts from her rifle or few shots from her trusty revolver.

A few struggled to eliminate the high-speed death machine with smart pistols or arc grenades, but the girl always outsmarted them with cunning use of holopilots. Soon it had come down to a 3-on-1, with Weiss as the last survivor of her team. She was hiding out in a small shelter cursing her heavy sniper rifle as she lugged it to a window. She peered outside and spotted an enemy pilot running down the street on a wall. She aimed down the scope of the Kraber and pulled the trigger. The enemy went down noiselessly, yet their death was still marked by the resounding boom of the rifle.

Weiss jumped out the window and hit the ground with a roll before jumping to propel herself onto a wall. She sprinted down the wall and jumped into an alleyway only to run into another enemy pilot. The man grunted and fell over at the impact and Weiss stumbled over him. She threw down her rifle and pulled out her handgun. The man jumped to his feet with a dataknife in hand. Weiss ducked underneath a wild swing before putting a bullet into her opponent's knee. He cried out in pain and fell to his good knee cursing. Weiss finished him with a bullet to the head. He vanished into pixels and the white pilot went to pick up her rifle.

Someone landed a vicious blow to Weiss's back, right behind the kidney. She gasped in pain and stuttered forward as a second blow slammed into her other kidney. Weiss yelled in pain and felt her leg kicked out as a strong hand on her shoulder turned her to face the dreaded girl. A drawn back fist flew forward and the world turned black.

Weiss sighed as her pod began decompressing. She had lost the battle, to the red girl, no less. The pod doors opened with a hydraulic roar and Weiss stepped out into the SimBay. All around her, other trainees were chatting or looking at the scoreboard while they waited for everyone to decompress. A few people gave tentative waves her way, and some men even winked at her or made suggestive motions to her face. The girl huffed and grabbed her bag. She hoped to grab a shower and food before their mission briefing and overview.

The locker room was almost deserted save for a few faces that Weiss knew. An orange haired girl was chatting animatedly on her phone.

Weiss had met this girl on her first day. The girl, named Nora, was a living ball of energy. She practically never stopped talking and was almost always hanging out with her childhood friend, Lei Ren. He was peculiar, too. Ren was as talkative as a sloth, preferring to express himself through body language or facial expressions. When he did speak, it was usually to reprimand his overly boisterous girlfriend. No, not girlfriend, just friends. Weiss was quite surprised that they didn't have a relationship like that and whenever anyone tried to bring it up, both parties would deny it vehemently. Whatever, it didn't really affect Weiss either way.

Weiss gave her a wave and threw down her bag. Nora ended her call with a giggle and skipped over to Weiss.

"What's up Weiss?" she started. Weiss opened her mouth to give a response, but Nora apparently didn't intend for a reply.

"Well I was just on the phone with Renny," she started. Weiss sighed and tuned the girl out, nodding occasionally and adding a few words here and there to be polite. It didn't matter if she did that or not, Nora would consider it a good conversation if someone let her talk their ear off.

Weiss punched in her locker code it unlocked with click. She peeled off her boots and stowed them before grabbing her towel. She fed Nora a few lines to keep the conversation going as they walked to the shower. As they walked, all Weiss could really think about was the brand new pilot who had ravaged her team. Nobody had accomplished a feat like that, even outnumbering her forces two to one.

"How'd you do in the simulation?" Weiss was brought back to reality by Nora's question. She looked over puzzled.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" The snowy haired girl asked tentatively.

"I asked how the simulation went, silly," Nora repeated. "I swear you are just like Renny sometimes."

Weiss shuddered at that comparison but composed herself quickly.

"I did pretty well. A couple eliminations here and there," she said. Nora narrowed her eyes and stepped in front of Weiss with her hands on her hips.

"Then why do you look so down?" she said in an accusing manner. Weiss froze up. Nora wasn't usually so confrontational or even serious.

"I-uh...I didn't-," Weiss stammered. She was cut off by peals of laughter as Nora's façade of seriousness vanished.

"Oh, I got you there. You should've seen the look on your face," Nora managed to get through her giggles. Weiss flushed and was annoyed at herself for falling for such an obvious trick. She felt relief at the same time. Nobody outside of the two teams knew yet. That would save Weiss a few minutes of humiliation.

"I already know how that new girl kicked your team's butt," Nora said as she composed herself again. At least, composed for Nora.

Weiss groaned internally. So much for a few minutes without being humiliated. "Y-yeah, she was pretty good at what she did. I don't even know what kind of weapon she was using," Weiss said. Nora nodded vigorously as they started to strip down for a shower.

"The overview said she was just using an R-101. Pretty basic if you ask me. Save for the extended mags and HCOG it is still a wimpy weapon," Nora filled in some gaps for Weiss.

Weiss was a bit taken aback that Nora had called the R-101 a wimpy weapon before she remembered what the orange haired girl's weapon of choice was. Anything was wimpy compared to the EPG, especially because it shot high-powered blast of energy that could vaporize Specters.

Nora then went off on some tangent about ranking the weapons, mentioning some famous pilot called Fizzy Promise or something like that who ordered the guns according to their utility. Weiss tuned the girl out once again and began her shower. The water was warm today and Weiss was thankful. Her sore muscles from this morning's PT had been begging for some relaxation and she almost moaned as they relaxed underneath the massage of water. She quickly skipped a bar of soap around her body and tried her best to clean her hair. Nora managed to finish quickly and left with a loud goodbye.

Just as she was finishing, the water stopped and buzzed angrily. Weiss swore as the heat vanished, leaving her shivering as a slight wind breezed by her. She groaned and pulled out a small token. She inserted it into a slot in the wall and the water turned back on. The girl quickly finished her shower and wrapped herself in the towel, trying to conserve any heat the water had imparted on her.

She turned the corner to get to back to her locker to change when she ran into someone. "Watch where you're going you oaf," she cried angrily as she collected herself off the floor, "If I didn't have training we'd both be dead with our brains on the flo-".

Weiss froze midsentence when she saw who she was yelling at. On the floor, looking terrified, was the girl in red. Weiss finally got to see her face. She was surprised at the youthfulness of it. The girl's face was shorter than most, leading to a cute childlike expression. Her hair was black but the tips slowly turned red. She was wearing a light pink tank top and short black short. The girl looked ashamed, almost scared and that look made Weiss's heart skip a beat.

 _Why the hell was she so cute?_ The girl in white wondered as her brain slowly shut down. Weiss kicked herself and her mind rebooted fast enough to warp a ship. Weiss let out a small huff and stalked off to find her locker. She had to do it to save face in front of her new rival. Weiss counted herself lucky that she even managed to keep her composure like that.

Quickly, as if dressing faster would make those thoughts go away, Weiss threw on her clothes and almost sprinted from the locker room.

On the other side of the wall, Ruby was wondering what the deal with the girl in white was. Surely, she was just mad that she had lost the last sim. Especially since Ruby had defeated her without a scratch. She shrugged and pushed the thought out of her head, moving on to picturing how she would describe her day to her older sister.

The water shut off and Ruby swore out loud.

 **/**

 **NICE! Leave a review and favorite this or whatever and I'll update it sometime in a week or two.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Look who's back with a new chapter of** ** _Love In Motion_** **. It's me, SmashFiction 2015. No need to applaud. Anyways, I decided to surprise y'all with some late night posting of the newest chapter a week ahead of schedule. I had originally planned to do this every other week, but I had time, so I got this done in 5 days! Yay! Anyways, enough babbling, let's get on with the story.**

 **I own nothing in this story, especially Titanfall or RWBY.**

/

Chapter 2: Home Life and Names

As Weiss made her way back to her to her apartment she couldn't shake off the image of the girl in red. That shirt had clung been tight enough to reveal a few curves and those shorts gave Weiss a nice view of the girl's-.

Red and annoyed at herself, Weiss fumbled with her keycard to get her door open. The door hissed open and Weiss entered her apartment. It was a very spacious and collected place. Fur rugs and homey furniture generated a relaxing atmosphere. It wasn't really Weiss's style, she preferred more white and stainless steel, but her roommate had insisted. Just then, her roommate entered. "Hey Pyrrha," Weiss greeted her casually.

Her roommate was one of the most famous athletes Mars had seen. She was a champion boxer that decided to pursue a new career on the expanding Frontier. Most people went as engineers or security grunts, but Pyrrha's skills most easily translated to one of the free-spirited pilots for hire. Her tastes and general disposition told of her origin from a farm in Mid-West America. That's why the apartment was decorated in such a warm fashion.

"You're home early," the red-head remarked. Usually Weiss was out until late evening, conditioning or training in the gym. Weiss sighed and dropped her bag on the floor with a loud clank.

"I was tired and decided to take my off day today," Weiss explained. No way was she going to admit that she had gone home early to avoid that girl in red. "Uh-huh," Pyrrha didn't look convinced, but didn't press the point. "Well, I was expecting you to be back so soon," Pyrrha said with a nervous laugh.

That's when Weiss noticed that her roommate was looking a little flushed. And the hoody that Pyrrha was wearing looked unfamiliar.

"Don't tell me," Weiss started. She was interrupted by a man's voice. "Pyr, who's there?" It came from down the hallway. A man walked into the room and his eyes went wide at the sight of Weiss.

"Who. The hell. Is this?" Weiss growled at Pyrrha. Her roommate laughed again, sounding even more nervous. "W-Weiss, this is Jaune. Jaune, this is Weiss, my roommate."

The man was blonde with bright blue eyes and he seemed to be muscularly built, with a attentive stance. His face had a hint of babyishness, but a few lines betrayed stress and worry. Jaune chuckled and held out a hand to Weiss, "Sorry about to intruding. Me and Pyrrha were just on a date."

Weiss rolled her eyes but shook his hand. His grip was firm and his hands were cover in calluses. "It's okay. I just snapped because I was tired," Weiss sighed as a fresh wave of exhaustion slammed into her. A hint of something caught Weiss's eye as Jaune's arm pulled back to his side. She narrowed her eyes and turned to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha. Can we have a word in private?"

The crimson haired girl nodded and they stepped into the kitchen nearby. "Did I see what I thought I saw?" Weiss hissed accusingly.

Pyrrha turned pink and looked to her toes. "I don't know what you saw, but-," Pyrrha was cut off by Weiss's hand clamping over her mouth. "Why the hell did he have an ID tattoo? And why was he wearing grunt fatigues?"

"Well, you're right. He is a grunt and he just got off base, but I don't see a problem." Pyrrha pried Weiss's hand off. Weiss snorted with derision. "The problem is that his lifestyle isn't compatible with yours. What do you think will happen when the IMC ships him out to the Frontier? Or what if you go there yourself and he gets stuck back here?"

Pyrrha shrugged and put a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "I know you're only worrying because you care for me, but Jaune and I _have_ gone over these situations. You gotta give us credit for that. I'll go where he goes and he'll go where go, even if we have to join the Militia."

"Don't even joke about joining those deranged rebels," Weiss pushed Pyrrha's hand away. "Whatever. I don't care anymore. I'm going to bed." Weiss stepped out and made her way to her room pausing only to grab her bag from the floor.

When Weiss got to her room, she slammed the door and sat down with a sigh. _Great, now I have two things to worry about,_ Weiss thought as she began unpacking her equipment.

Weiss tossed her dirty uniform in a hamper and plugged her jumpkit into its charging station. It hummed and pulsed its jets as it ran diagnostics. Satisfied with how she had cleaned out her bag, Weiss hopped into her bath and let her stress melt away in the hot water and foam.

After a half hour or so, Weiss reluctantly drained the bath and began her bedtime ritual. She brushed her teeth and removed her knee braces. The doctor who had helped her through the rigorous augmentation process had recommended that she take them off every night to prevent calf atrophy and allow her knees to get a little more use. She had to have them on during the day though: the jump kits were hell on your knees.

Weiss brushed her hair and sat down at her work desk. She powered up her computer and cleared away the clutter from today's notes. The white-haired pilot began working on her homework. By the time she had finished, Weiss's clock read that it was a bit after midnight. Weiss got into her bed, gathered her blankets around her and fell into a sleep troubled with images of the girl in red.

/

Weiss started awake to the sound of her alarm going off with a buzz. She slammed the innocent machine until it went quiet. Slowly, Weiss dragged herself out of bed and prepared for her day ahead. After she had brushed her hair and donned a fresh uniform from her closet, Weiss made her way into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and some yogurt before throwing in couple of granola bars into her bag. Her morning bleariness cleared as she slammed back a cup of coffee and Weiss left a note reminding Pyrrha to do the laundry before dashing out the door.

The walk to the training facilities wasn't far but Weiss decided to practice with her jumpkit. The jets responded easily and Weiss found herself lost in exhilaration as they launched her through the Martian atmosphere. Her boots scrabbled for purchase as she ran onto the wall of an office building. The morning workers looked in awe as they saw a pilot dash by, a few waved or even took photos. Weiss waved back, but tried to stay concentrated on falling off the slippery glass. Weiss made a mental note to stick to more forgiving surfaces like plastic or concrete.

A few minutes later, Weiss was almost to the training center and she was sitting on the top of a cargo truck enjoying her breakfast. The apple was crispy and sweet and went well with the yogurt's sharp acidity. The girl fed the remains of her meal into her jet's reactor and her fuel bar barely twitched upwards. She slipped her helmet back on and jumped off the truck before it went under a bridge.

Weiss landed in the middle of a busy sidewalk, narrowly avoiding a couple in suits who were heading to work. With a quick apology, Weiss boosted onto a billboard and jogged on top of it earning a few gawks. People were always in awe of pilots, most considered them the very pinnacle of modern science; combining the natural processing power of the human brain with agility and power provided by the feats of engineering that gave them the capability to move in any direction they wished. Wiess found it funny that they didn't give the same glamour to ship salvagers, who wore identical gear minus the combat armor and enough firepower to vaporize a city block.

She was rudely jerked out of her thoughts as a red blur dodged past Weiss and settled in front of her. Weiss's gut twinged in anger as the other pilot flew away down the street, barely stopping to run on a wall, preferring to use them to gain more speed. The white-haired pilot kicked off the wall and landed on the street, sliding underneath a car as it roared by. Without a drop in momentum, Weiss leapt after the figure, jumping from vehicle to vehicle, occasionally dashing off a wall or billboard.

Slowly, Weiss caught up to the figure and she felt a small bit of pride mixed in with the adrenaline. The figure abruptly stopped. Weiss let out a small yelp as she barreled into the figure, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Weiss slowly came to her senses and sat up. Her shoulder hurt where she had run into the other pilot and her helmet was lying somewhere in the grass. Her kit rattled and buzzed as it tried to recalibrate itself after the collision.

Someone nearby groaned and Weiss shuddered as she realized that it was coming from underneath her. She rolled away and stood up away from the figure. Weiss paled when she saw who's face it was underneath the helmet.

The girl in red sat up with another groan and clutched her head. "Owie," she muttered, "I knew I shouldn't have wasted time baking those cookies." Then she noticed Weiss and jumped to her feet. "Ohmygodimsosorryididntmeantorunintoyou-," she started before turning red and clearing her throat. Weiss was still dazed as she stared at the girl's rosy cheeks and pinkish nose. Silver eyes met hers and Weiss looked away.

"You should've watched where you were going, you dolt," Weiss decided to opt for refuge in anger. "If you hadn't stopped so suddenly, we wouldn't have slammed into each other. Why were you even rushing so fast to get here? Why aren't you apologizing to me?" The girl in red shrunk underneath the barrage of questions, looking ashamed.

"I am so sorry, I only stopped because this is the entrance of the facility," she explained. Weiss turned pink as she realized the girl was right.

"Still, you should have predicted that I was coming. Pilots are supposed to be aware of everything around them," Weiss chided the girl. "Anyways, I didn't catch your name." The girl's shame turned to confusion as Weiss suddenly switched gears.

Weiss held her fingers crossed behind her back, trying to get a name for her one true competitor, rather than a title like 'the girl in red'. That felt kinda stupid and cliché, like that told show _How I Met Your Mother_.

The girl recovered and stuck out a hand, "Name's Ruby, Ruby Rose. Pilot-in-Training and daughter of Specialist Summer Rose Pilot, First Class."

 **Sike bitch, I suck at writing so I decided this might as well be my stopping point. I took some liberties in this chapter, mostly with how the gear works and how pilots interact with civilians. If you have any ideas or suggestions, PM me or leave a review. Other than that, I would appreciate more follows n stuff.**

 **Oh and here is a quick explanation of Titanfall for people who don't know what Titanfall is. Pilot's are just augmented soldiers with special boosters that allow them to do cool parkour stuff, like double jumping and wallrunning. Grunts are simple foot soldiers and they tend not to associate with pilots. Specters are robotic infantry and are generally tougher than grunts, but much weaker than pilots. Pilots also have giant mechs they can use called Titans, which can be orbitally inserted, hence the name Titanfall. See? Not much else to learn.**

 **Love y'all, leave a review, favorite or follow and I will update before Sunday, probably.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm not dead, even though some of you might think that. Sorry for the delay, life caught up on me and I had 4 papers to write. In fact, I'm not even done with all my work. I just wrote this to procrastinate! Anyways, I'll stop griping and let y'all read the story!**

Chapter 3: The Girl In Red

"Name's Ruby, Ruby Rose. Pilot-in-Training and daughter of Specialist Summer Rose Pilot, First Class." Ruby stuck out a friendly hand. The other girl, who Ruby recognized as the one she had run into the locker room, tentatively took it. Ruby shook it vigorously, not failing to notice the other girl's high-end leather gloves. "Nice gloves," she blurted out, "Where'd you get them?"

Weiss looked taken aback, confused by the random question. "Well, I bou-,"

She was cut off abruptly as the girl in- Ruby cried out an apology and fell on her knees begging for forgiveness. Weiss stared at the curious girl at her feet. Was this really the ice-cold killer that destroyed her entire team. It seemed unlikely, maybe Nora had made a mistake when she checked the leader boards. With an indignant 'humph', Weiss turned on her heel and stomped off.

Ruby looked up from where she was kneeling to see the white clothed girl walk off to the academy. With a shrug, she got back up and grabbed her helmet. _That girl was kinda rude, like she was in the showers…I wonder what her problem is. She's be pretty if she wasn't yelling at everyone all the time_.

"Hey, Ruby!" She was shaken out of her thoughts by a loud shout. Ruby grinned as she recognized the voice before someone slammed into her shoulder. Blonde hair filled her face as Yang Xiao Long fell over her 'little baby sister' and Ruby ate the dirt for the second time today.

"Yaaaaang!" The younger girl whined as she struggled to her feet. Her older sister flopped to the side and giggled. "Why do you always tackle me like that? You're embarrassing me!" A pout rose to Ruby's lips as she confronted her sister. The blonde let out a small 'ack' and averted her eyes.

"Ruby, don't pout at me," she said in a pained voice as she tried to resist the younger girl. "Can't…give…in…" Lavender eyes peeked through the blonde's hands as her will slowly faded. Soon, Ruby was rewarded as her sister's determination crumbled. "Sorry Rubes," Yang apologized, "It won't happen again."

Yang started walking away and motioned for Ruby to follow. Ruby paused to slip her helmet back on before following her sister.

"So Ruby, how was your first day?" Yang broke the silence as the pair entered the large training building. "It was okay," Ruby perked up as she recalled yesterday's events, "Oh yeah! So yesterday we did stuff with SimPods! It was soooo cool. I don't think everyone really uses their jump kits very well. Most of the people I saw stayed on the ground or used the boosts to get into windows. But I was zipping around everywhere like 'blammo bang bang' and everyone was like 'aagh bleh I'm dead'. It. Was. So. AWESOME!"

Yang laughed and tuned it out, occasionally asking other questions to keep Ruby chattering about her day. She half heard about how Ruby got Crescent Rose, her custom rifle, inspected and cleared by the quartermaster.

"Even better, he suggested improvements to her that would increase the fire rate. It won't cost me a single credit! Everything here is prepaid! Even the cookies!"

"I already know that Rubes, this _is_ my second year here. Speaking of free things, have you made any friends yet?" She knew the red pilot had problems with making friends, her unusual obsession for weapons and tech put a lot of people off. Yang was especially sensitive to Ruby's social problems because the brawler had so few problems in her own.

"Ehh, I met a few people," Ruby looked down to her feet, "There was this white haired girl, she was real mean, but I did meet Pyrrha and some guy who was with her. I think his name was Jaune. I think it was funny that she had him as a bodyguard." _Never grow up_ , Yang thought as Ruby immediately launched into her tale of how she met the famous athlete.

"And then she said-" Ruby was cut off.

"Wait, what do you mean it was funny Pyrrha had a bodyguard?" Yang demanded. That detail was odd.

"Oh, the Jaune-guy was following her around in full armor," Ruby pointed out. That wasn't unusual. "Why do you think he was a bodyguard?"

"Well, he was just a grunt," Ruby said nonchalantly. Yang's mind raced as she put the pieces together. "Why Pyrrha need a grunt as a bodyguard, unless he was her mysterious boyfriend!"

Ruby just looked puzzled. "Well whatever Yang, I have Combat Theory with Oobleck in a few minutes, so I gotta go." Ruby dashed off, trying to separate herself from the queen of gossip that was her sister.

Yang watched Ruby dash away and began making her way to her own class. "Never change," she smiled to herself, "Ooh right, I can't wait to tell Nora and Blake about Pyrrha's mystery man."

* * *

Weiss made her way through the white and grey hallway hurriedly, staring every other trainee in the eye as she passed by them. _Never fail to put forth a strong persona_ , her sister's words rang in her head. Of course, her sister was always better at things like that. She was the perfect daughter her father had always wanted. Top of her class at her officer school, picked up pilot training in less than a month and already a Asymmetrical Warfare Specialist for Hammond Industries. _With all that accomplished, what can I even try to achieve?_ Weiss felt sick to her stomach. Everybody was disappointed by her, even herself.

Somebody bumped into Weiss, knocking her out of her reverie. She looked up at the offending body and glared before realizing who had cornered her against the wall. "Hey Ice Queen, I heard some new girl wiped your team against the floor yesterday," a mocking voice was followed up by derisive laughs. "She isn't so perfect anymore, is she?" A girl spoke up this time, taunting Weiss.

 _Don't show weakness, even if you are overwhelmed in every direction. An opponent will take any chance to tear you down._

Weiss sighed and put on a fake smile for her audience. "Why, yes Mercury, I did lose in a match to a new girl. I assumed that a new opponent would be as bad as your team. Unfortunately, she proved to actually be skilled." The snipe was a better shot than what Weiss normally had in combat.

The green haired girl, Emerald, laughed at the boy, who flushed and crossed his arms in contempt. "Well, I don't want to keep you two waiting around, so I'll go," Weiss shouldered between the two and continued on her way down the hallway.

"We'll see who's really better in the Sims today Schnee," Mercury yelled across the hallway. Weiss ignored him and pushed on with her day.

/

 **Authors Note:** **Well? What'd you think. Y'all'd'nt've believed how much work I should have been doing instead of writing this.**

 **I know Yang is a little OOC and Weiss is super angsty, but that'll change soon. They just had to establish character. And yes, Emerald and Mercury are bullies and that is SUPER cliché. Like really. Not a single AU where the setting is different do they fail to be schoolyard bullies. But I needed someone to be annoying to Weiss.**

 **Extra** **note:** **I have other, non-RWBY writing experiements and was wondering if anybody wanted to read them? Just PM me for info, or if y'all want I can post it as a side project!**

 **As always, favorite, follow, and review, s'il vous plait!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The uhh, the fic ain't quite that dead. Sorry for the super long delays, but eventually I'll get this to be more consistent.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Weiss slammed her locker shut and placed her hand on the pad to lock it. It hissed and locked with a mechanical click. The girl turned around, wincing as the tight VR suit pricked and squeezed in all sorts of uncomfortable places.

Ignoring the discomfort, Weiss made her way out of the locker room and into the spacious bay that held all the VR pods. It was the size of a small hanger, with enough room to seat about 2,000 people. Weiss walked over to where her team was sitting or stretching, getting ready for their combat exercise.

A girl with a grey beanie waved to Weiss and ran over to her. "He's who we have on today's roster. Neon got sick and is staying home right now. Mentioned something about roller blading accident? I don't know. I talked to Colonel Goodwitch and she said that she would provide us with a replacement."

That news was upsetting, Neon was one of the stronger fighters on the team. Weiss hid her disappointment behind an annoyed frown. "Thanks May. Do you have any idea who the replacement is gonna be?"

May shrugged and itched her head. "I don't know, but they better be here soon. The match is starting in 3." Weiss nodded and walked over to the front of the staging area. Everyone started quieting down and took their seats.

"I'll keep this brief. Today's match is against Colonel Fall's team. You know that they are led by Emerald Sustrai. We got this. Just stick together as pairs, and only engage them when you have the advantage. Unless my new partner shows up, I will stick by myself and provide wide coverage over the area. The sim starts soon, so get in you pods and get ready."

There was a chorus of agreement and the team broke. Weiss sighed and paused one last time, hoping to find a replacement before she had to go. The entrances stayed empty and Weiss made her way to her pod, chiding herself for putting up too much hope.

The doors opened with a hydraulic hiss and Weiss stepped into the black chamber. She sat back into the harness system, cushions conforming comfortably to her body. Wiess reached out to the console above her and typed in a few commands, initiating the simulation. The door's hydraulics roared right next to her ear and the metal plates slid together. Right before they finished shutting, Weiss could swear she heard someone saying something and a flash of red and black. A blinding array of lasers poured out of tiny holes and whited out the world.

When the whiteness cleared, Weiss was standing in a darkened dropship with her helmet in hand. A few other figures stood around, checking their equipment and grabbing weapons. Flares of pixels burst sporadically, leaving people in their places. Weiss slipped her helmet on, waiting for the light blue HUD to boot.

"Here ya go." A man in a grey flight suit handed Weiss a long rifle. She took it and looked it over. It was her sniper rifle, painted an immaculate white with blue accents running down the barrel. The customized scope hung off the side of the rifle, making room for the bolt to be pulled easily. It also left room for her to easily put her eye up to it while in motion. Other than that, Weiss hadn't changed anything else. Satisfied that it had been generated correctly, she slung it over her back and did a quick run through of the rest of her equipment.

"Blue team, please come to attention," a strong and commanding voice rang out from the front of the ship. The entire squad came to attention, some shuffling to face the source. "Today's wargame is a simple Live Fire match. No regeneration. No objective other than to eliminate the entire team." Colonel Goodwitch reached up and pulled the hatch release. A blast of wind whistled through the cabin and bright sunlight flooded in. Everyone in the cabin collectively winced at the sudden shift. "Don't disappoint me, be ready for anything," she said as she waved the team out of the ship. Weiss gave the teammate next to her a curt nod and jumped.

Gravity took hold again, dragging Weiss down into the overgrown remains of a city. Her cloak kicked in, reducing her to a slight shimmer. A pair of her teammates soared by, sticking to walls and higher platforms to get to the middle faster. Weiss grabbed onto a window sill and vaulted into a blown-out flat.

"Enemy sighted north-east side of the 'scraper, moving to engage, over," Weiss's radio crackled. Gunshots and the rumbling of explosives soon followed. _Shit, I'm not even in position yet,_ Weiss thought as she scrambled to get to the top of the building.

"Copy that, overwatch support almost in position. Over," Weiss said into her mic. With a final jump, and a small boost from her jumpkit, she landed on the roof and surveyed the battlefield.

True to their word, Weiss's teammates were engaging the enemy team next to the glassy remains of a tower. She saw one go down to a slew of bullets, corpse fading into blue pixels. Without a moment's hesitation, Weiss shouldered her rifle and targeted the source of the machine gun fire. She saw a flash of silver paint slide across a rooftop.

Myrtenaster bucked and roared, the .50 BMG bullet leaving a light trail of distorted air. The ground next to the figure sparked from the impact. Weiss growled to herself and racked the bolt. Her grip tightened, and the rifle barked out another bullet. She was rewarded with a splash of red as her target was turned to paste by the round.

/-/

Down below, the skirmish was growing to a full-fledged battle. Cardin Winchester did not like such intense engagements. Yes, he was bigger, fitter, faster, and a better shot than most, but he still knew his limits. In combat as close quarters as this, even a professional pilot could be defeated by a surprise attack from a single grunt. Not to mention intense battles always came down to the wire as casualties stacked on either side.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. He turned towards the window that had been caved in, his rifle aimed at the pilot who had just arrived. His finger began squeezing the trigger, mostly on reflex.

"Oh shizz! I'm a friendly," the pilot yelled loudly. Cardin hesitated, but his computer confirmed it. He took his finger off the trigger, not fully relaxing, and looked this unfamiliar teammate over. She appeared to be a girl, mostly from her higher pitched voice, but the slimmer build of her armor was also a tip off. Her armor was printed with some exotic red and black camouflage.

"I don't recognize you," Cardin said, lowering his rifle cautiously, "are you new?" The girl looked away and kicked a piece of glass.

"You could say that. I just started here yesterday, but I'm only filling in for one of your teammates, hehe. Colonel Fall thought it would give me some good experience of a battlefield," she said.

Cardin paused, letting the silence get a little bit awkward for the girl. "And your name is…?" he said, finally breaking it. "Also, don't stand so close to the window. You could get sniped," he added.

The girl shrugged and propped her rifle against the sill. "Right, I'm so sorry about forgetting my name. Yang's always saying I'm so socially awkward, but that's not true! I like to talk to people, it's just strangers I don't like. That's what your parents always tell you right? 'Don't take candy from strangers' or whatever that saying is. Anyways, I'm much better at fighting, so I don't mind being bad at conversations. I'll just everyone how good I am at this." The girl peeked down her scope out the window as she began to babble.

Cardin sighed. He was getting _really_ irritated. Didn't she realize that they were in the middle of a combat simulation? "I asked for your name," he said.

"Oh right, the name's Ruby Rose." Ruby didn't even seem embarrassed that she had gotten off track.

"Alright, Ruby, you're gonna stick with me and my fireteam for now," Cardin said. "Dove, Sky, Russel, form up. We're moving up to take out the sniper in the tower. I'll take the new girl with me through the buildings to clean up any stragglers. You can move through the streets and be ready to storm it."

"You got it, boss," Dove said over the radio. Cardin heard the three descend the stairs behind him.

"C'mon, Ruby. Let's go."

/-/

Weiss heard someone enter the floor above her, the blast of a breaching charge shaking dust from the ceiling.

"Move it, we need to rush him," a male voice said. Weiss hefted her rifle up off its stand and pointed the barrel towards sealed door behind her. _Shit, this is bad_ , she thought to herself. Someone else was climbing the stairs underneath her, their boots clanking heavily on the metal frame.

Splinters of wood peppered against Weiss's faceplate as the door detonated. A trail of blue light from an arc grenade sailed in. Weiss noticed it too late. It detonated with a loud bang, electricity short-circuiting her helmet systems and sending her into convulsions. A figure followed the grenade, the enemy pilot rushing in with his SMG ready. Weiss managed to pull the trigger through the pain. The man jerked with a short cry as the bullet passed right through his chest. He fell over forwards and faded into pixels.

Another pilot turned into the doorway and sprayed an arc of fire. Weiss grunted as a bullet caught her left leg and another glanced off her shoulder. She hurled her rifle at him and followed it up with a jet-boosted tackle. They fell into the stairwell, grunting and swearing as they struggled for domination. Weiss managed to get on top and slammed her hand into the side of his head. He grunted but managed to pull the knife out of Weiss's leg and pushed it up towards her chest. She smacked his hand aside and kneed him in the groin to ward him off. Instead, her knee caught a piece of armor, drawing an audible curse as her move backfired.

The knife was brought around again, this time for a slash to the neck. Weiss reeled away backwards and brought her head back forward into his. The world flickered as they collided, and Weiss mouth tingled from the impact. She didn't let up from her onslaught. Her elbow crushed his wrist, knocking the knife free. She landed blow after blow to his face, ignoring his weak punches.

Maybe it was the reflection from her opponent's helmet or pure instinct, but whatever it was, Weiss noticed a threat behind her. She dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a brutal swing of another enemy pilot using his gun as a club. The blow went missed and slammed into the man who was pinned underneath Weiss. His helmet collapsed with a sickening crunch and he disappeared.

"Oh _shit_ ," the teammate said, staring at where his friend used to be. He turned to look at Weiss, his body still frozen.

Weiss shot him in the chest with her revolver. After a brief pause, she sighed and picked her knife up off the ground. _That was too close_ , Weiss thought as she limped back into the room. The click of someone turning the safety to a pistol off came from behind her. Weiss froze and turned around slowly to face her nightmare.

The red-painted pilot shrugged. "Sorry about this." She fired.

/-/

Ruby was having some terrible luck today. Her and Cardin had run into stiff resistance in the form of some pilot who knew how to use her holograms to fight super effectively. Before Cardin had vanished from the effects of a hatchet to the spine, he had muttered something about 'fucking Velvet and her stupid tricks'. Ruby quickly avenged him, but the delay had been too much. By the time she had arrived at the tower to help the rest of Cardin's squaddies, they had already been eliminated by the sniper.

And, of course, that sniper had to be the angry white-haired girl, or Weiss, as Ruby had learned in one of the other classes they shared. So, Ruby decided to try to get the drop on Weiss and hid behind some crates. When the girl finally entered the room, Ruby had stepped out, pistol in hand. Then she realized the safety was still on, and Weiss heard Ruby's attempt to switch it off.

So now Ruby found herself locked in a melee that she really didn't want. Weiss kicked like a mule and was all too willing to go for cheap shots. Ruby had lost count of number of times Weiss had punched Ruby in one of her breasts to force her back. That _hurt_. A lot. She was, for once in her life, grateful that she was not as well endowed as her sister.

/-/

Weiss was getting really frustrated. She knew that this fight was a losing one. Her leg had gone numb and she was dizzy from blood loss. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Weiss heard a voice yelling to give up, but she ignored it.

She swore and danced back from a round house kick that would have turned her ribcage into splinters. Ruby was faster, and she knew it. Weiss was especially annoyed by that. In fights between pilots, it usually came down to whoever could land the first blow and Ruby's speed was unreal. The girl zipped around, picking away at little weaknesses in Weiss's defenses.

So, to end the fight once and for all, Weiss threw her entire body into a tackle. Ruby dodged with ease and stomped on Weiss's exposed back. The world turned black.

/-/

Ruby sat down in the debris, exhausted from her fight. Behind her, Weiss's body faded. It was really gross, but Ruby had to steel herself from such things. Most pilots didn't hunt evil beasts in forests, so she had to get used to the idea of _killing_ human targets. Even if the methods could be brutal, like kicking someone in the head hard enough to remove it. She shuddered and swallowed the bile that rose as she remembered the sensation of bones shattering.

Her radio chimed. "Congratulations team," the silky voice of Colonel Fall came through. "You have achieved total victory over Team Snow. The sim should be ending and results will be sent to your emails." Ruby sighed and looked up at the vanishing sky

 _Fudge, that was disgusting. Gonna have call dad tonight to ask him if he ever did anything like this_ , she thought before she ceased to exist.

/-/

"The champion returns!" Yang crowed as Ruby entered the apartment. "I heard you beat the ever-living shit-"

"Language," chimed their father from the video call on her phone.

"-out of Team Snow. I even heard you put Velvet _and_ Schnee out of action. Why didn't you tell me that? Nora of all people had to seek me out and read off the stats in the middle of our showers. Anyways, I'm gonna go get dinner ready. Here, talk to dad!" She shoved her phone into Ruby's hand and ran off towards the kitchen.

"Hey dad," Ruby said. Her dad waved from the phone, his blonde hair waving from some wind wherever he was.

"Hey Rubes, how was your second day?" He asked eagerly.

"Eh, it was okay. I like the campus a lot and the food is okay," she said. "But I really like that combat classes," she added lamely.

"Sounds great! Have you spent any time in the workshop? I know that Crescent Rose is always in need of a little tune up," her dad said.

"Wait there's a workshop there?"

"Yeah, how do you think your uncle made his weapon of mass destruction?"

That was a valid point. "Well, I always thought he made it when he was in Signal."

"No," her dad laughed. "He didn't know people made custom weapons until Beacon. And then, of course, her had to make up for lost time and over-compensated in the worst way pos-"

He was cut off by a nearby explosion. Someone screamed in the background and bullets zipped by over her dad's head. "Oh shi-, I mean crap. Sorry Rubes, gotta go. Love you!" He said before ending the call.

Yang entered the room with two plates covered in some synthetic foods. "Did he hang up already?" She asked.

"Yeah, stuff started to explode. Duty calls, y'know," Ruby said, taking one of plates. Yang turned the TV onto the news and plopped down beside Ruby. They dug in, trying to forget that their dad was in life-threatening danger.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the low quality writing. I wrote this chapter on and off over about 3 months, so my train of thought kept getting derailed. Thanks for reading anyways. Review, Favorite, Follow, do whatever. Just enjoy it.**

 **Side note, if you are interested in my posting of my large non-fanfic Work In Progress just PM me and I'll either post it or link the doc to you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I was re-reading this chapter so I know where I was to update this and I found an issue. Mainly, starting chapter 6 in the middle of this chapter! So this is a re-upload to help assuage my conscience.**

 **Sorry about that!**

 **Chapter 5: Situation**

"Rubes, time to wake up!" Yang yelled down the hallway. She checked her watch and grabbed her mug off the table. Gulping the remaining dregs, she checked her watch again. _7:41_

"I'm gonna leave if you don't get up," she yelled again. Ruby's door exploded outwards a split-second later. She stumbled out and bounced off the wall of the hallway.

"Hrrrgznffee," Ruby mumbled. She slumped down into a chair and buried her face into her arms. It had been 2 months since she had started at Beacon and the work load was finally beginning to catch up to Ruby. "Iwantmuhcoffee," she groaned again. Yang laughed and slid a fresh cup across the table. Ruby caught it and lifted her head enough to take a sip. She grimaced. Ruby never really liked coffee, but ever since Yang had introduced the life-giving properties it had wormed its way into Ruby's routine.

Trying to ignore the acrid flavor, Ruby took another sip. At least the warmth was enjoyable during these cold Martian mornings. As the caffeine slowly returned life to Ruby, she proceeded with the rest of her morning routine.

Shower? Check.

Protein bar for breakfast? Check.

Computer and equipment packed? Check.

Another cup of coffee? Check.

Teeth brushed, hair combed, and uniform on? Check.

Such was Ruby's average morning. By the time she had finished, it was 8:20. Yang was outside waiting on her bike. "Let's go! Traffic is hell this morning and we don't got any time!" Yang rushed her. Ruby whined, as usual, but hopped on the back of the bike, arms wrapping around Yang's waist.

In less than 10 minutes (due to some less than legal shortcuts), they had arrived at Beacon. The front grounds were still littered in streamers and confetti from the celebration a couple days ago. The 3rd year trainees had finally earned their Pilot Certifications and the academy threw a big party for them.

Huge gunships hovered overhead at the docking bay as the two pulled into the parking lot. The entire graduating class was leaving for their first deployment. Apparently, a mining subsidiary of the IMC had offered a job to every single one of them. Ruby noticed a familiar white snowflake on the side of each one.

"Wait, Yang. Who hired everybody?" Ruby said. Yang shrugged and turned her bike off. She took her helmet off and squinted at the ships Ruby was pointing to.

"That looks like Schnee Procurement property," Yang said. "You know Weiss, right? I'm pretty sure it's her dad's company."

 _Oh_. So that was where she had seen it. In retrospect, Ruby should've known; Weiss had that emblem on everything she had. _I wonder if I should talk to her today_ , she idly wondered as she started the walk towards the imposing building. She absentmindedly noticed a dark-haired girl slip out of the shadows towards Yang, but she didn't pay any mind to it.

* * *

The first person Ruby saw when she entered the room was Weiss. She waved cheerily. Her smile grew even bigger when Weiss waved back, albeit halfheartedly. 2 months ago, Weiss would have scowled or even ignored Ruby but recently their friendship had made progress. After their fight in the sim, Ruby had confronted Weiss in the locker room. Hard words were traded, and Ruby realized that she had to try to get closer to Weiss.

"Heya Weiss," she said, taking a seat right next to Weiss. "What did you think of the homework?" She pulled out a notebook and started scribbling a header onto a fresh page.

"It was…interesting. Oobleck's instructions on the controls for a Titan was really confusing. I had to ask my sister about it and even she was confused. Apparently her instructor, Peach or something, had given them a simpler packet." Weiss was quite talkative if you found the right subject.

"Really? I thought the instructions were easy. Oobleck's way of teaching was just like how they taught the controls for gunships at Signal. Maybe that's what he was going for?" Ruby said.

"Maybe Oobleck shouldn't assume all of us have had flight training. I don't think many other trainees learned that skill." Weiss pulled out her computer and opened up the simulated control panel for a titan. "See, right there, that display is poorly lit and would be blocked by my arm if I was trying to use the yoke." She pointed to a little green data graph.

"I don't know, Weiss. Flight skills are pretty common. You'd be surprised how vital it is for a lot of people's lives. Plus, that screen is only for extra stuff like core temperature and elevation and stuff. My little skimmer had that table even smaller and right above me, and elevation is important in flight." Ruby had to pause to remember where a similar display had been located on her ship. "And," she added proudly, "I only almost crashed twice for the entire time I owned it."

"How long did you own it for?" Weiss already knew the answer.

"Uh, hehe, about a month." Ruby's face flushed.

"Alright pilots, class is about to begin, if you all could quiet down," a violently quick voice came from the front of the room. A man in an olive green uniform and bright green hair stood at attention, a mug of coffee at hand. "I hope you all did the homework because there is going to a be a minor examination right now. So please, take out your computers and take the quiz I have posted on the network."

"Hey, meet me at Max's Café for lunch. Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha will be there too," Ruby whispered to Weiss before they turned to take their quiz.

* * *

Ruby skipped down the boulevard humming some tune to herself as she made her way to the restaurant. She looked at the noonday sun as it sunk below the horizon. Her stomach rumbled.

Down the street she saw a colorful trio sitting at a table. One of them waved, her bright orange hair bobbing as she bounced energetically. Ruby waved back and jogged the rest of the way to the table. She nodded to Ren, a quiet, dark haired Asian man, and gave Pyrrha a hug before taking a seat. They were sitting outside a small café on the outskirts of the city. There were other shops on the street, built to look like classical brick-laid buildings from Earth. The restaurant itself wasn't that full, most of the outdoor tables were full but the inside was empty except for a large group of construction workers crowded around one table.

"So how was the walk Ruby?" Pyrrha said. Her green eyes glimmered with a mirth Ruby only saw occasionally. Ruby looked over to Nora, who was harassing Ren as the pair looked at the menu.

"Ah, it was okay. Yang actually drove me halfway and dropped me off a couple blocks away. What she forgot to remember is that walking with the sun in my eyes is not my favorite thing to do."

"Yeah, I still have a hard time staying on the Martian clock. I'm just used to the sun being in the sky every day," Pyrrha said. Ruby remembered that Pyrrha had lived on Earth for most of her life.

"Anyways. Do you know what they serve here? This seems like your kind of place Pyrrha. I never really eat American." Ruby grabbed a menu and looked it over. She recognized what a hamburger was, but most of the other items were mysterious. "Like what is a pie?

"It's like a pastry filled with meat or other stuff. The fruit kinds are for dessert," Pyrrha explained. "I think you should just order something simple before you dive in deep." She pointed to a picture of a large hamburger.

Ruby nodded and entered her selection onto a nearby pad. She had had a hamburger a couple times before, it wasn't much more than a hot sandwich with more meat than usual. Pyrrha had already entered something called grits? Ew…

"So..," Ruby tried to break the silence that had fallen between her and Pyrrha. "How's Jaune? I heard he was involved in a terror cell raid the other day."

"Jaune? He's doing marvelous. You're right. He was leading an entry team that got caught in an engagement first. Luckily, my training seems to be paying off. He even got promoted to sergeant after he ran out into the open to save one of his squadmates."

"Where was the raid again?"

"It was at the shipping docks." Pyrrha's face burned a little red as she recalled how she got the details out of her boyfriend. "The White Fang had safehouses and warehouses filled with supplies and weapons. Apparently there was even a prototype Paladin-class titan."

"I'm glad that the IMC finally took action against those terrorists," Weiss said. Ruby nodded, _Weiss was right_. Wait. Since when was Weiss in the conversation? The white haired girl had somehow slipped into the chair next to Ruby without being noticed.

"Oh gosh Weiss, you scared me," Ruby giggled. Weiss rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Of course you didn't Ruby. You're about as observant as a sloth," she said. The table shook from a sudden force. Everyone, including people from other tables, turned to stare at Nora. The girl was standing up, her chair discarded, and had the most hopeful look on her face.

"Did you say sloth?" Nora Valkyrie's grin grew wider every second. Ren, her constant companion, buried his face in his hands and mumbled something like 'not again'.

"No Nora, it was just a metaphor," Weiss said calmly. Ren nodded and grabbed Nora's shoulder.

"Nora choose your food and I'll show you some pictures of sloths," he said. Nora beamed at him and cheered.

"Thanks Renny! You're the best." She enveloped the man in a tight hug, both of their faces coloring a little bit. Ren shook his head with a small smile as Nora began scanning the menu again. Everyone else in the restaurant went back to their food and conversations like nothing had happened.

"Who chose this place," Weiss asked, looking around. "It's..nice. A little quaint, but at least it isn't over the top." She tapped in her order after a quick glance at the menu.

"Pyrrha did," Ruby said. "It's American food." Weiss nodded. The decorations were very American and so was the menu.

"I can see why she chose it. American food is always good."

"Not unless you've never had it," Ruby grumbled. Pyrrha beamed at the praise. American food wasn't that popular in Vale, so Weiss's agreement was nice.

Just before she was going to give her thanks, a gunshot echoed down the street. Someone screamed and chaos broke out.

* * *

Weiss's eyes cracked open and she peered around. Yup, she was still being held hostage by terrorists. She sighed and sat up. Her back and neck hurt from sleeping on the floor, but she ignored the pain. Instead, she focused on listening in on her captors' conversations. That was the only good way to get information on the outside world.

"So? What happened?" One of the White Fang said. His friend took off his helmet and yawned before sitting down with an audible thump.

"The IMC isn't giving into our demands yet. You'd think that they'd be willing to make a deal. They haven't even handed any food over to feed the hostages. A bunch of hard-asses I say," he said. His voice was a bit higher pitched and the exhaustion was evident in his voice.

"Well, that's classic. I'd expect the guys who blow up Frontier settlers to allow their own people to starve to death."

"What is the boss gonna do?"

"I dunno. He'll probably tell us all later today. Anyways, I'm gonna try and get some sleep. Wake me up if anything happens."

Weiss laid back down as the men moved around to switch their watch. She idly wondered how long it had been since she had laid down on a proper bed. She couldn't quite remember if they were taken hostage 2 or 3 days ago. Whatever it was, everyone in the restaurant was hungry. Someone's stomach growled next to Weiss and she looked over to who it was. It was Ruby. The girl was looking extremely worse for wear. Her red and black hair was disheveled, and her eyes were dulled.

"Did you hear anything new?" Ruby whispered quietly. She glanced around to make sure none of the guards could listen in.

"No, but they mentioned something about how their boss is going to give them new instructions later," Weiss said. Ruby sighed and rolled to stare up at the ceiling. A sob came from across the room, followed by a muttered "shut up" from one of their captors.

"Weiss," Ruby said. She paused, obviously struggling with what to say.

"What's up, Ruby?" Weiss replied.

"Have you-I mean- is there anything you regret not doing?" Ruby said. Weiss closed her eyes and memories of how she first met the girl-in-red. There was a faint tingling in her kidneys.

"There's a lot I regret, Ruby. I'm not as young as I think I am," Weiss eventually said. Ruby perked up and looked at Weiss.

"Like what?" Of course, Ruby wouldn't give up on this line of conversation. For such an awkward and introverted girl, Ruby liked to know a lot about people. Weiss had noticed it early on.

"Small things mostly. I regret not going home to say bye one last time to my mom. Not fighting against my father earlier. The rest isn't that important." A small wave of sadness washed over Weiss. She shrugged and looked away to wipe a small tear. When she opened her eyes, Ruby had turned back to the ceiling.

There was a few more seconds of silence. Weiss sniffled and spoke up. "What about you?"

"Same as you I guess. My mom died when I was little. I don't remember her much, but I wish I had made the most of my time with her. I remember screaming and crying for no reason and causing her pain. That's what I regret."

"That's not your fault, you were little," Weiss tried to console the red head.

"No, it isn't. I should have been there for her, Weiss. 8-year-old me should have known better. I guess that's why I want to be a pilot. Maybe I can be there for someone else's mom to get them home." Emotion spilled over and Ruby began silently weeping. "W-what a fucked up way to go. KIA in th-the middle of nowhere." The curse came unexpectedly. Ruby didn't ever swear, at least in front of Weiss.

The heiress scooted over and gave Ruby a hug. Ruby turned into it and began sobbing into Weiss chest. She didn't notice Weiss's cheeks coloring a bit. Weiss did and she kicked herself mentally. _Ruby is going to a tough time, don't be a creep like that_.

Eventually, Ruby calmed down and everything went back to normal. As normal as things could be, as Weiss sat up from the dirty linoleum. There was a commotion near the front of the store, beyond the metal barricades and someone ran in.

"I need to talk to Adam," the woman said. The White Fang let her through, recognizing the mask that she wore. Weiss groaned. She thought it was going to be a negotiator, or even better, a rescue team.

A few moments later, the woman exited the back of the shop where the leader of the terrorists had been staying. She was followed by a tall flame-haired man. His helmet was at his side, but his face was still obscured by a thin mask. Weiss didn't miss the metal jumpkit strapped to his waist or the pulse blade strapped to his chest.

"Lewis, Shipton," his commanding voice rang out. "Grab two prisoners and bring them with me." A girl shrieked as rough hands hauled her up and pushed her towards Adam. A businessman followed, he was silent but terror was evident in his eyes.

The White Fang girl pulled out a phone and handed it to Adam. He turned on the speaker and entered a number. The tone rang twice before someone answered.

"Adam. I assume you are calling to give us new demands?" A calm voice said. Adam sighed and unholstered his pistol.

"Tell whoever is in charge to deliver us exactly 3 weeks' worth of food and water for 43 people. I want it in 30 minutes or my next demand will be for 41 people." He voice was equally calm. "I would be willing to negotiate for less if this demand is met."

There was a pause. "You know we can't do that, Taurus. If you as much as harm a single hair on one of your hostage's head, the IMC will show no mercy." The voice finally said.

Adam placed the phone on the table. "30 minutes, Ironwood. That's all you have." He hung up. He turned towards the terrorists. "Keep an eye out for our request. And keep a special eye out on that group over there." He pointed at Wiess and her friends, "I don't want any pilot-trainees to interfere." He stalked away into the back of the shop.

Weiss gulped and gave a quick glance to Pyrrha. Pyrrha looked just as nervous.

* * *

Jaune ran through the small encampment that surrounded the store. He spun by a private who was carrying a tray of coffees, probably for the snipers. A deep anger boiled inside Jaune as he made his way to the truck that his CO was in. Luckily, Jaune had mastered keeping his emotions off his face, so when he busted into a meeting between the captain and her lieutenants , at least he had _some_ damage control.

"Corporal Arc, what brings you here at this time?" Captain Schnee looked irritated. Jaune detected the message underneath, ' _why the fuck did you break into this meeting?_ '

"Sorry ma'am, I just wanted to inform you that shots have been heard inside," Jaune said. His voice almost cracked near the end as his anger threatened to boil over. The grave looks he was given indicated that everyone in the truck already knew.

"We know, Corporal. Taurus made his new demands a couple minutes ago. Food and water for 41 this time."

"Yeah," one of the other officers said, "I'm surprised the madman went through with it. I always thought Taurus was a coward." One of the other ones laughed. Jaune slammed his helmet on the table and stared them all in the eye.

"This is not the time for joking," he said angrily. "Someone precious to me is in there and that is why I'm worried. If your friend was stuck in there with her, you wouldn't be so flippant about the fact that the White Fang just executed two of their hostages. And if I were you, I'd try my best not to be some stupid son of a bi-"

"That is enough Corporal!" The captain cut him off. "I would like to remind you that my _sister_ is in that building, too. Keep your emotions in check, or I will remove you from this operation." Jaune snorted and glared at Winter. They engaged in a silent conversation as the two stared each other in the eyes.

Jaune won. "But, seeing as you are the only man willing to risk his skin, I have decided now is the time for action. I will give you and your squad until 1200 hours to prepare for a rescue op. That's forty minutes Corporal." Winter said. Jaune saluted her, Winter saluted back, and Jaune stepped out of the truck. He slipped on his helmet and activated the radio.

"Three-Two be advised, we are go for BCS operation at twelve hundred. I want everyone geared to eliminate threats inside. Briefing is in ten, be ready. Over." Jaune gave a small smile to himself as confirmations came in from his squad. _Maybe Pyrrha is gonna be OK_ , he thought.

/

 **A/N:**

 **Wassa my dudes! As I said earlier, my updates will be getting more frequent 'n stuff, so that's cool.**

 **I am currently looking for someone to proof read my new chapters, so just PM me or something if you are interested. My reddit username is u/UnnamedArt if you want to contact me that way. It's probably more reliable that PM'ing me here.**

 **If you have any questions about what is going on, feel free to ask them. I will try to answer if I don't plan to answer it in the story. IF you have any complaints, leave them and I will take the into account next time. If you just like the story, that's cool.**

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